Train-order signal.



- W. T. GATES.

TRAIN ORDER. SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 18,1907.

922,273, Patented May 18, 1909.

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- TRAIN ORDER SIGNAL. APPLIGATIO'N FILED JUNE 13,1907.

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W. T. GATES. TRAIN ORDER SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 18,1907.

Patnted May 18, 1909.

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llNlTElO STATEtl WILLIAM T. GATES, OF AUBREY, TEXAS, ASSIGNOR TO THE GATES SAFETY SIGNAL BOARD ATTACHMENT COMPANY, OF AUBREY, TEXAS, A CORPORATION OF TEXAS.

Application filed June 18, 1907.

Specification of Letters Patent.

lrilay 153 Serial n0. erases.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM T. GATES, a

citizen of the United States, residing at make a rigid structure.

Aubrey, county of Benton, and State ol Texas, have invented a new and Improved Train-Order Signal, oi which the l'ollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to signals for railways and more particularly to'certain sal'ety signaling devices 1 and the object is to provide operators and despatchers with safety devices which will operate automatically and positively to prevent improper displays ol' signals and the passage of trains without orders. A separate order pad is kept for each station on a railway to which an operator must give orders. When an operator gets a call to take an 0 der, he cannot get the order pad until he raises or displays the somaphore. T hen he cannot lower the semaphore until he replaces the order -iad in th; cabinet, and he will not do this until the conductor takes the order. Thus a semaphore cannot be thrown or cleared for passage until the operator replaces his order pad in the signal cabinet.

Other objects and advantages will be fully explained in the following description and the invention will be more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Reference is had to the accompanying drawings which form a part of this application and specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the signal cabinet, showing the actuating mechanism. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, this view being the right side o'l' F 1 and showing the lever l r 'iving an alarm and showing the semaphore actuating mechanism. 3 is a side elevation, being the left side of Fig. 1 and showing the main operating lever and gearing for operating the semaphore.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the cabinet withthe entire iront part oil the casin removed.

Fig. 5 is a vertical cross-section along the line a of Fig. 4. 6 is a vertical crosssection along the line 1 y of Fig. 4. Fig. 7 is a detail view of the contact making devices of the alarm mechanism.

Similar characters of reference are used to indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views.

The devices set forth herein are adapted to actuate signals of any ordinary construction, but for convenience oi illustration a semaphore is set forth. A cabinet side:

(i r-lCl (4 All :3 iAL, 2. 1e) ii: "i r 1 an ar e oo o ir'l t t hich A semaphore actuating shalt 18 mounted in and gournaled or.

the sides oi the cabinet, journal bearings e being attached to the sides oi the cabinet. The shaft 5 does not rotate but oscillates substantially 90 degrees. Pinions and. 8 are mounted on shaft These pinions are actuated by a lever 11 thro a sector 12. The lever 11 and the sectoiqln are both mounted on the shalt 13, the lever 11 being loosely mounted on the shalt and the sector being rigidly mounted thereon. The lever must be movable in order to engage different portions of the segmental rack 1a which is rigid with the side oi the cabinet l the pur pose oi'i' locking the semaphore shalt in different fixed positions. The lever is held in enga ement with the rach by a spring 15 which is attached to the lev 11 at one end and presses aga nst the sector 12. The lever 11 is held in alinemcnt with the sector 12 by means of loops l6 and. 1? which. are formed integral with the sector The segmental rack 14 is integral witi the brace 18 and thc ournal bearing 19 for shalt is also integral with the brace wllOll the sector 12 drives the pinion. {5 and consequently the shalt 5 and the pinion 7, the plniOil 8 drives the sector 10 which is rigidl mounted on the shalt and door hinge 20 and the shalt and they door hinge 20 are also driven by the pinion 7 and sector 9. When the shalt 20 is driven the door 21 is opened. W hen the shalt 5 is driven or o. ,flated the somewhere is raised or lowered. the shalt 5 d es the pulley 22 and consequently the bolt :23. The belt may run i .iy suitable manner to the shaft i l of the semaphore. llhe sem. phore is shown mounted on a post The cabinet su -posed b mounted in an office and thebe: ided out of the oiiice to the semaphore. .531 the drawii'igs the belt 23 runs about the idle pulleys 27 and 28, then under pulleys and 30, and up over the pulley ill which is rigid with the semaphore shaft 24. l fith the mechanism thus described the semaphore can be raised or lowered at will. I

Means are provided for locking the seinaphore up until. the conductor hassecured his orders. A cam is rigidly mounted on shaft 5. This cam is provided. with an ab rupt shoulder 33. Locking dogs 34 are pivot r is rigidly mounted on this shaft.

ally mounted on the shaft in the compartment 36. Any suitable number of shelves 37, determined by the number of stations or switches for which an individual station operator gives orders, are mounted in the compartment 38. Weighted arms 39 are rigidly mounted on shafts 40 and the shafts 40 are pivotally mounted in the side pieces 1 and 2. Arms 42 are rigidly mounted on the shafts 40. Links 41 are pivotally connected with the dogs 34 and pivotally connected with the arms 42. The order pads 43 for the different stations are mounted on the shelves 37. Normally the pads 43 hold the dogs 34 out of engagement with the cam shoulder 33. When an order pad 43 is taken from a shelf 37 the weighted arm 39 will drop down and let the shaft 40 turn. This will let the dog 34 fall by means of the arm 42 and the link 41 and engage the shoulder 33. This operation will lock the semaphore up because the shaft 5 cannot move until the dog 34 is disengaged from the cam shoulder 33 and this will not be done until the operator delivers the orders to the conductor and puts his pad back in place. When the pad is put back in its place, the pad will strike the beveled surface of the arm 39 and raise this arm and thus turn shaft 40 and raise the dog 34 out of engagement with the cam shoulder 33. The sema hore may then be let down by means of the ever 11. It is noted that the lever 11 is thrown forward to the dotted line position in Fig. 3 when the semaphore is raised and that the lever 1 1 cannot move as long as the dog 34 is in engagement with the cam shoulder 33.

Provision is made for temporarily disengaging the dogs 34 from the cam shoulder 33. In order that this disengagement may not continue any longer than the necessity of the disengagement, the act of disengaging the dogs 34 from the shoulder 33 also sets off an electric alarm which continues to run as long as the dogs 34 are disengaged from the shoulder 33. The object of the alarm is to remind the operator to release the alarm and raise the semaphore after a train has passed. While the dogs 34 are temporarily disengaged from the cam shoulder 33 the agent can operate the shaft 5 to loweror raise the semaphore. The means for this temporary disengagement of the dogs 33 are shown in the drawings. Two grooved wheels 44 and 45 are rigidly mounted on the shaft 35 and a crank lever 46 A yoke 47 is rigidly mounted on shaft 35 beneath the dogs 34. When the lever 46 is moved the yoke 47 will lift the dogs 34 out of engagement with the cam shoulder 33. The alarm is given as follows: A bell 48 is mounted on the cabinet, preferably on the outside. Binding posts 49 and 50 are mounted in the cabinet on opposite sides of the grooved wheels 44 and 45 and carry contacts 51 and 52 which bear against the wheels 44 and 45 respectively. The post 49 is electrically connected by wire 55 with one side of the bell 48 and the other side of the bell is electrically connected with a battery 53 by a wire 54. The binding post 50 is electrically connected with the battery 53 by a wire 56. The wheel 45 has an insulated portion 57 on which the contact 52 normally rests. When the lever 46 is moved, the wheels 44 and 45 are moved and the bar 52 bears against the metallic portion of the wheel 45. This will complete a circuit through the wheels 44 and 45 with contact 52 and thus ring the bell. The bell will continue to ring until the lever 46 is moved to its normal position, and the semaphores can then be again displayed. Means are provided for reventing the operator from stopping the a arm until the semaphores have been raised or displayed. The operator might not want to hear the continuous alarm. Suppose the semaphore is displayed for one or more trains and it is necessary for an extra train to pass. The operator could move the lever 46. This would start the alarm and at the same time raise the dogs 34 so that the lever 11 couldbe moved to lower the semaphore. He could then move the lever 11 and lower the semaphore. He could then move the lever 46 back to its normal position and thus stop the alarm. The danger of this would be that he might forget to raise the semaphore after the extra train had passed. In order to prevent an operator from stopping the alarm under such conditions, a lock is provided. A cam 58 is mounted rigidly on a shaft 5 and provided with a shoulder 59. A detent 60 is rigidly mounted on shaft 35. This detent is a tubular arm having a plunger 61 projecting therefrom. This plunger 61 rests against or is attached to a spiral spring 62 which is seated in the detent arm 60. The plunger 61 normally presses against the surface of the cam 58. When the lever 11 is moved enough to lower the semaphore, the plunger 61 will catch behind the shoulder 59. In this position of the cam 58, the lever 46 cannot be moved until the lever 11 is moved to raise the semaphore. Thus the operator is prevented from stopping the alarm until he has raised the semaphore. When the lever 11 has been moved to raise the semaphore the lever 46 can then be moved back to its normal position and the dogs 34 will then again fall on the shoulder 33 of the cam 32. With this provision for raising the dogs 34, the semaphore can be cleared for the passage of any one of the'trains for which the agent has orders and the alarm will continue to sound until the train has passed and the semaphore again displayed.

In practice the train order pads arefi-losed in the cabinet. When an operator receives a call to take an order for a train, he cannot get his train order pad until he raises the semaphore. He must pull the lever 11. This displays the semaphore and at the same time opens the door of the cabinet. hen he removes the pad from'the cabinet the semaphore is automatically locked in the displayed position and the semaphore cannot be cleared until the pad is replaced in the cabinet except under conditions above described. The signaling devices herein described make a simple and practical mode of preventing a train from passing a station without orders.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with a door and containing train order pads, semaphore actuating gearing mounted on and in said cabinet, a lever for operating said gearing to display a semaphore and simultaneously open said door, and locking devices for said gearing automatically actuated by the removal of a train order pad from said cabinet.

2. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with a door and containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said cabinet, means for operating said gearing to display a signal and simultaneously to open said door, and gravity actuated devices automatically locking said gearing on the removal of a train order pad from said cabinet.

3. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with a door and containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said cabinet, gearing for opening and closing said door operated by said signal gearing, means for operating said gearing to display a signal and simultaneously to open said door, and gravity actuated devices automatically locking said gearing on the removal of a train order pad from said cabinet.

4. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with a door and containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said cabinet, gearing operated by said signal gearing to open said door when a signal is displayed and to close said door when a signal is cleared, and means for operating said signal gearing.

5. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with a door and containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on said cabinet and including a shaft running through said cabinet, gearing operated by said signal gearing for opening and closing said door, and means for automatically locking said gearing on the removal of a pad from said cabinet consisting of a cam mounted on said shaft, locking dogs pivotally mounted in said cabinet and weighted arms supported on said pads and pivotally mounted and operatively connected to said dogs.

6. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with a door and containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on said cabinet and including a shaft running through said cabinet, gearing operated by said signal gearing for opening and closing said door, a cam mounted on said shaft, a plurality of dogs pivotally mounted in said cabinet for engaging said cam, and weighted arms 0 eratively connected to said dogs and pivotally mounted and supported on said pads.

7. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on said cabinet and including a shaft running through said cabinet, a cam mounted on said shaft, a dog pivotally mounted in said cabinet to engage said. cam, a rock-shaft mounted in said cabinet and carrying an arm, a link bar pivotally connected to said arm and to said dog, and a weighted arm mounted rigidly on said rock-shaft and resting on a train order pad.

8. A signal operating device comprising a closed receptacle containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said receptacle to display a signal and simultaneously to open said receptacle, and means automatically actuated by the removal of a train order pad from said receptacle for looking said gearing with the signal displayed until the train order pad is replaced in said receptacle.

9. A signal actuating device having a closed receptacle containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said cabinet, and means cooperating with said gearing for opening said receptacle and for preventing the opening of said receptacle until said gearing is actuated to display a signal and serving to close saidreceptacle and to clear the signal for the passage of a train.

10. A signal actuating device comprising a closed receptacle containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said receptacle, and gravity actuated devices automatically locking said gearing on the removal of a train order pad from said receptacle, and means for unlocking said gearing temporarily and simultaneously giving an alarm and continuing the alarm until said gearing has been again locked.

11. A signal actuating device comprising a closed receptacle containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said receptacle for displaying a signal and at the same time opening said receptacle, means for automatically locking said gearing with a signal displayed on the removal of a train order pad from said receptacle, and means for temporarily unlocking said gearing and simultaneously giving an alarm and continuing the alarm until said gearing has been again locked.

12. A signal actuating device comprising a closed receptacle containing train order pads, signal actuating gearing mounted on and in said receptacle for displaying a signal and simultaneously opening said receptacle, means for automatically locking said gearing on the removal of a train order pad from said receptacle, means for ten'iporarily unlocking said gearing for clearing the signal and at the same time giving an alarm and continuing the alarm until said signal is again displayed and said gearing again locked, and means for preventing the stopping of said alarm While the signal is cleared.

13.. A signal actuating device comprising a cabinet provided with a door and containing a series of train order pads, gearing for operating a semaphore and simultaneously opening and closing said door, and locking devices for said gearing consisting of a cam having a shoulder and a series of dogs adapted to engage said shoulder on the removal of pads from said cab net.

14 A. signal actuating device comprisinga cabinet provided With a doorand containing a series of tram order pads, gearing for operating a semaphore and simultaneously opening and. closing said door, and locking devices for said gearing consisting of a cam operatively connected with said gearing and a series of dogs and provided With a shoulder, and a series of dogs adapted to engage said shoulder on the removal of said pads from said cabinet.

In testimony whereof, I set my hand in the presence of tWo Witnesses, this 5th day of June, 1907 WILLIAM T. GATES.

Witnesses:

A. L. JACKSON, J. W. STITT. 

